Food Poisoning Prognosis

Most cases of food poisoning in the U.S. have good outcomes because they usually resolve quickly and have no complications. However, in some instances, a person may have severe symptoms and the outcome may range from good to poor, depending on the person's food poisoning agent and their response to treatment.

The prognosis for common food poisoning (viral, bacterial) in developing countries is guarded especially for children and the elderly as they often have other health conditions that weaken them and sometimes have little or no access to pathogen-free foods or water.

Medically reviewed by Robert Cox, MD; American Board of Internal Medicine with subspecialty in Infectious Disease